Warmth
by Jack of Chocolate
Summary: It's the coldest, yet the warmest time of year. Can you feel the cold seeping through? Naruto grinned. [Christmas one shot. Complaints, don't read]


Warmth

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A/N: Alas, this is a day late, but I present to you a one-shot. 

This one-shot is very general, so don't expect too much. There's some angst, but that's about it. Enjoy.

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Silent flecks of snow descended from the heavens.

With the whole village already covered in snow, these little flakes were adding on. Upon this cold day, when everyone was inside with warmth held captive in their homes, a boy no less than the age of 6 walked by. He merely wore a white shirt and pants that reached below his knees. His toes were freezing as well, since he only wore blue sandals.

Icy wind rushed onto his exposed skin and through the thin fabric. He shivered visibly, his soft lips turning slightly blue. He shut his cerulean eyes, trying to block out the cold. But to no avail, he opened them again.

The wind wasn't that strong, but it was icy. The flakes that seem so serene turned violent when joined forces with the wind.

Nonetheless, he trudged on without knowing exactly where to go.

His blond hair was covered with flecks of snow. He shook his head to rid of it, since the snow was bitter to the touch. With the ice fixated stubbornly on his hair, he gave up.

The boy looked at the houses again. He longingly gazed at the radiating light that he could almost feel, but could not. He ripped his stare from them and continued on. Another wind rolled by. Shivers ran up and down his spine, causing goose bumps to rise. He tried to melt his freezing hands by rubbing it together. It seemed to work, but the heat died down quickly.

This cold day, he's heard his teacher call it a name before.

_Christmas_ _is a great holiday. Where everyone is warm and inside the house with presents to open up. The outside is cold, but some kind of shield protects them from it. _

_It's the coldest, yet the warmest time of year._

"Warmth?" he asked himself, his voice barely audible, "I've never felt it. I wonder what it is."

He walked and didn't even know if he was or not.

There were voices now, children yelling and mild crushing of snow. He wasn't sure if it was real or his imagination deluding him. But then, the boy saw it; children yelling and throwing snow at each other. It seemed cold, but none of them were shivering as he was.

Among the group, he recognized them as his classmates in the academy.

Then, as if trying to miss, the pink-haired girl hurled a snowball toward his direction. He didn't know what to expect, so he didn't dodge it. The ball of ice slammed bitterly onto his chest and melted, causing ten times more shivering than before. But somehow, this made him smile unlike the time when he was trudging down the empty street.

"Naruto! Over here!"

Something insisted him to do the same, to take revenge. It was the mischievous mind that urged him; the same mind that told him to pull pranks. He gathered snow with his numb hands and clamped them together. He lifted it close to his chest trying to make sure the ball of snow didn't fall apart.

With the amount of energy he had, he threw it at the group of classmates. He nailed someone standing close by but not joining in. When Naruto scurried closer to the group he felt his pride grow.

"Ah! Sasuke-kun got hit!"

The now irritated Sasuke too gathered a snowball to rid his embarrassment. He flung the icy ball toward Naruto, but missed since the blond learned how to play. It slammed onto someone else who seemed to complain about it.

"Sakura! This all your fault!" yelped the blond girl while she swatted the bits of snow off.

The pink-haired girl frowned and crossed her arms. "Why is _my_ fault, Ino-pig?"

"You're the one who invited Naruto to play with us!"

That last sentence silenced them all, looking at Naruto with curiosity. The boy gazed at the snow-covered ground with shame. Ino had guilt in her eyes, but narrowed it instead and said, "Let's go. I don't feel like playing anymore."

Everyone reluctantly left, with sour expressions and disappointed mutterings. The laughter and the snowball fights were gone. The calm sadness washed over him again, feeling cold once more but even emptier. He slumped down into the heartless snow and sat still.

Only one person was left.

Sasuke slowly walked over to where Naruto was sitting. He held out a mitten covered hand.

The blond looked up to the hovering figure. His cerulean eyes brightened to a lighter blue, filling with a spark of joy. Naruto grinned, his eyes curving upward and teeth showing brightly. He took his hand immediately. The warmth of his mitten covered hand delighted the boy.

Sasuke fixated his gaze on the boy before him. Finally, with a sigh, the Uchiha uncoiled the dark blue muffler he had around his neck. He threw it toward Naruto and the blond caught it with instinct. He held it close to his face, feeling the warmth.

With that done, the Uchiha began to leave. Naruto quickly followed with the thought of a perfect Christmas.

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A/N: I hope you liked it. Please do tell. Preferrably in a review. 


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